What Stars would likely look to acquire (and give up) if they were to make a deal before trade deadline

This Story is About...

Share This Story On...

General Manager Jim Nill addresses the media as Ken Hitchcock is introduced as the Dallas Stars new coach during a press conference at the American Airlines Center on Thursday, April 13, 2017, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)

And yet, if they can make it better, they definitely want to study that option.

You have to, especially with the Central Division as tight as it is, and so the Stars are preparing for the possibility of making a move by the Feb. 26 NHL trade deadline. They have some budget limitations, and they actually don't have that many needs, but like rest of the league, they want to be in the mix if they can be.

So what are they seeking? It's a bit of a complicated question that will be answered more clearly in the next 13 days. Defenseman Marc Methot has missed most of the season with a knee injury. He should return as soon as Friday, and then the Stars have to decide if he is good to go for the rest of the year. Dallas acquired Methot from Vegas in the summer with the hope the 32-year-old would be a grizzled playoff veteran who provides steady defense and could help improve the play of a young defenseman such as Stephen Johns or Julius Honka.

But he has played one game since Nov. 6, and if he looks shaky in the next two weeks, then Dallas might need to add a defenseman.

Let's shelf that idea for now and assume Methot will be fine. That leaves the Stars with the potential need for a top-six winger.

This team as constructed has some very nice pieces at the top in the form of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov. They even are getting some depth scoring from Mattias Janmark, Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick, so the need to add more isn't overwhelming. But if Nashville adds a player and St. Louis adds a player and Winnipeg adds a player, then the Central starts to shift a little.

So expect the Stars to at least be open to trades.

The New York Rangers are looking to move Rick Nash, a 6-4, 212-pound winger who has scored 30 or more goals eight times in his career and can become a UFA in the summer.

Dallas sits at $74.1 million with a $75 million salary cap, and Nash makes $7.8 million this season. The specific amount the Stars can spend is prorated based on how much of the season remains with an exemption for money paid during the season to players on long-term injured reserve.

Still, it would be a tight fit. Nash is only 33, but he also has just 17 goals among 27 points this season, so there is some risk there. What's more, the Rangers want a ton in return.

That might make the Stars more closely study a player such as Montreal's Max Pacioretty or Ottawa's Mike Hoffman. Both are younger and both have contracts, so they would be longer-term acquisitions. Pacioretty is 29 and makes $4.5 million this year and next. Hoffman is 28 and makes $5.2 million for each of the two years after this one.

The Stars also face a special case this season as teams are likely to want Dallas' first-round draft pick in exchange for any top-tier free agent. But with the draft coming to Dallas in June, the Stars could feel the need to keep their first-day selection, meaning a trade might tap into the Stars' pool of prospects even more.

5 forwards the Stars could be looking to add before the trade deadline

If the Stars were to give up players such as Julius Honka, Brett Ritchie, Jason Dickinson or Devin Shore, it would make more sense to get a longer-term answer.

Of course, the fact they have good young players here and the possibility of more coming next season (Miro Heiskanen, Valeri Nichushkin, Roope Hintz, Denis Gurianov) means they can consider dangling a roster player or two in order to obtain a big fish such as Nash, Pacioretty or Hoffman. Ritchie makes $1.75 million a year, so there are ways to open up more cap space in a trade.

But with money tight and the Stars looking for a perfect hit, maybe the best choice is another Rangers player. New York has announced it is open for business, and Michael Grabner can become a UFA in the summer. He's making just $1.65 million this season and has 23 goals among 28 points in 54 games.

Grabner, 30, is fast, defensively responsible, and might add exactly what the Stars need. Unfortunately, he also could do the same for six or seven other playoff teams, so the demand could be high the closer we get to Feb. 26.

That means the Stars might have to consider moving some young players, and that's where the dance begins. How much are they willing to give up to possibly get better this season?